Spurs' emphatic win over Rockets comes with a special caveat

With less than 20 games to go, the Spurs look as sharp as they've looked all season. Keldon Johnson has broken out of his shooting slump, the Slash Bros, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, are knocking down threes, the ball is moving, and chemistry feels palpable. San Antonio has gone from looking like a contender to the best team in the league, and the timing couldn't be more perfect.

After their down-to-the-wire battle with a lesser team like the Clippers on Friday, I expected a much more grueling contest against the number three seed. The Rockets just couldn't really muster the fight necessary to provide that. San Antonio's defense was stifling from the start, and when Victor Wembanyama starts the game off on fire from three, opponents are already in deep water.

When Wemby is hooping like an only-team All-NBA player, you're already done. The Spurs had four guys score 20+ points, and another with 19. Adding that on top of a Vic masterclass will result in a win 10 times out of 10.

The Spurs' chemistry is building rapidly

They didn't really have the opportunity to gel over the first few months of the season. In October, De'Aaron Fox missed games. In November, both members of Area 51 went down, and Dylan Harper missed time not too long after that. On December 29, Devin Vassell suffered an adductor strain that forced him to sit out 13 games. There was just never a real time for the team to build cohesion.

Despite that constant adversity, they won games. The Spurs were shorthanded, but that didn't stop them from beating the best teams in the league. You had to think to yourself, "If they're winning 80% of their games now, how good could they be when fully healthy?"

It was the only question that mattered for a while. San Antonio went from a team with few expectations to one fans are demanding wins from on a nightly basis. Pundits were thinking a successful season could be had by making the play-in, but now NBA Finals talks are being floated.

The team getting a chance to actually work with each other has done wonders for their expected ceiling. Everyone has settled into their roles, and the players have gotten a feel for where their teammate wants to be, what they want to do, and how they can all contribute to the greater goal based on that understanding.

That applied to the defense as much as the offense. The Rockets scored 120 points, but the Spurs stifled them when it mattered. They got blocks and steals and outright bullied their in-state rivals. It was a beautiful sight and will only encourage fans when the postseason rolls around. Too many teams have tried to push this team around, when really, they're the aggressors. They'll learn soon enough.